Democracy Day: South East Is Being Marginalized – Gov Umahi

as IPOB sit at home flayers flood Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, Tuesday insisted that the Southeast geopolitical zone is still facing serious marginalised in the country.

Governor Umahi who spoke yesterday at the Pa Ngele Orunta township stadium, Abakaliki during his Democracy day speech, however, emphasized the need for the zone to constructively engage the federal government on the issue.

The Chairman South East Governors forum noted that the zone is not happy with the way and manner it is being marginalised pointed out that the Governors of the five states in the region believe constructive engagement as being championed by the Governors and Ohaneze Ndigbo was the way to go.

He however condemned the method being deployed by Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MOSSOB in the county which he said is inimical to peace and development of the region.

He further condemned the sit-at-home exercise called by Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, for tomorrow in the zone.

He warned that any trader in the state who fails to open his shop tomorrow in solidarity with the IPOB and MASSOB will be made to forfeit the shopsto government.

“And so, any trader that closes shop will forfeit the shop forever. Anybody that flouts this order will be decidedly dealt with. I ask Ebonyians to go about their businesses freely and peacefully.

“Let me say that when we the South East Governors say that we don’t want the activities of IPOB does not mean that we are very happy with the marginalization of the South East in the affairs of our nation.

“But we are saying that the way IPOB is going to address the matter is not the right way. The right way is what the Ohanaeze Ndigbo did; which they did in the committee of Igbo people and that is what we believe.

“We call on the federal government to look into the plights of the South East people and address the issue of marginalization. We believe in one Nigeria that is found in equity and fairness and fair play”.

Meanwhile, IPOB flayers and posters urging citizens of Ebonyi State to observe the sit-at-home tomorrow in the state in the early hours of today flooded the capital city.

The flayers with IPOB logo and some dead IPOB members were also conspicuous in the poster which was pasted in front of almost all the buildings and shops along Ogoja road, Afikpo road and Water works road, Nkaliki road, major motor parks within the capital city among others.

There is tension within the capital city over the sit at home warning as some citizens has already expressed fear over possible clashes between the group and security agencies. Ends.